Signs & Symptoms

The symptoms of an LCL Injury depend on the severity of the damage. If you only have a mild sprain, you may not experience any symptoms at all. If you have a complete LCL Tear (also called a rupture), you may have difficulty walking.

Signs and symptoms of an LCL Injury include:

Swelling & pain on the outside of the knee

Stiffness in the knee joint

Locking & catching of the knee joint

Instability of the knee joint, feeling like it’s going to give out

Outside of the knee is tender to the touch

Popping sound at the time of injury

If your peroneal nerve was affected when you injured your LCL, you may experience numbness and/or weakness in your foot.

If you have injured your LCL you should stop doing the activity that caused the injury. Depending on how severe the injury is, you may need to avoid most physical activity until your knee feels better.